1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of floor care appliances and more specifically to a wheel construction for use with such floor care appliances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum cleaners are a common form of floor care appliance. Typically, vacuum cleaners are supported above the floor by four wheels, one each of such wheels being mounted at the corners of a vacuum cleaner housing by means of axles or spindles. To facilitate manufacture and to minimize cost, it has been conventional to manufacture such wheels from a plastic material An example of a plastic wheel for a vacuum cleaner is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,543 to Keane. In Keane, the wheel is made of plastic and has a fixed annular bearing surface. A resiliently deflectable latch element is used to secure the wheel to the housing of the vacuum cleaner. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,159 to Irwin in which a wheel may be installed upon an axle by pressing the wheel onto the axle until a flanged portion of a hub snaps over a head of a button-like extension of the axle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,669 to Jankevics discloses a wheel bearing arrangement for a vacuum cleaner wherein the wheel has on its inside a shaft cooperating with bearing surfaces in the suction cleaner housing. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,401,900 to Fisher a vehicle wheel spindle is disclosed wherein the vehicle spindle has a plurality of successively removable annular spacers or rings fitted upon a threaded nut receiving extension of the spindle. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,512 to Liebsher discloses a non-motorized, mechanical sweeper with slot-like bearing bores with introduction slits in partition walls and outwardly open wheel recesses in the housing wherein drive wheels are closed externally with a smooth surface and are retained by check plates and retaining pockets on the partition walls.
Some of the foregoing designs are complex and expensive to manufacture. In others, the wheels begin to wobble on their spindles or axles after a short period of use. Applicants have developed a wheel construction which is inexpensive, yet very effective for its intended purpose.
Therefore, the present invention contemplates a new and improved wheel construction which is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.